


little bed of straw

by blackierose



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Feelings Realization, Fluff, Gay, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Romance, gay cats babey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-14 03:22:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16031951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackierose/pseuds/blackierose
Summary: (ATTENTION! This fic is being remade. Stay tuned for the new update!)The black tom stopped while listening, staring at the other for a moment. His chest felt tight; deep inside. He wasn’t sure of what to make of it. Barley titled his chin up, wisps of fog spilling out from his mouth to the sky.There it was again. The twinge in his heart. Ravenpaw binked down at his chest.“Im in love with him.”  a voice echoed in his mind.(just ravenpaw being gay whats new)





	little bed of straw

“Uh- should we really be up here?” Ravenpaw voice wobbled, and he swallowed to cover it. This wasn’t the first time Barley had asked them to go somewhere unusual- but this time his barn companion had asked to go up on the roof. 

 

He missed their little bed of straw in the barn, glancing down to the barn with a grimace.

 

Of all places, this one Ravenpaw wasn’t so sure about. 

 

His paws balanced on the wooden beam, and he used his long tail to keep his balance. A cool breeze ruffled his fur, making him shiver slightly. The icy air cut through his short pelt.

 

Barley looked down from the gutter, his green eyes gleaming in the dark. They shone with amusement. “Why, you scared?” Barley asked. Little blinks of stars twinkled above Barleys face, the moon illuminating his features. He looked cute.

 

Ravenpaw rolled his eyes but didn’t answer. Now wasn’t the time to be mooning over the goofy tom. He wasn’t about to give the tom the satisfaction of being right. Besides, he wasn’t scared- just a little wary. And for good reason! What if the roof caved in? The barn’s wood wasn’t exactly new and fresh. The well worn wood didn't look very promising.

 

“Hey. It’s fine, I’ve done this before.” Barley’s deep laughter sounded from up above him. The eyes disappeared from behind the ridge. Ravenpaw snorted. Yeah. Like that was comforting.

 

Ravenpaw grunted, pulling himself over the roofs ledge. He used his back paws to launch himself over the rim, landing beside the bigger tom with a huff. Barley was at his side instantly, pressing his thick coat against his own comfortingly. Ravenpaw purred in thanks, brushing his whiskers against Barley’s cheek.

 

“Well, look at that. You’ve grown a bit. You’re almost as tall as me.” He purred, nudging the sleek black tom. Ravenpaw tried to stifle his smile, looking away. 

 

Ravenpaw had filled out over the many moons, growing into his long legs. His face had narrowed down to where he looked older- more rugged. He was still lean, but with all of the lazing and mice his body grew a attractive bit of weight. Although his large ears still stood out to a point, they were the least of his worries.

 

Barley thought they were cute after all.

 

“Look over there,” Barley murmured, dipping his head in front of them.

 

Ravenpaw turned and gazed around them at the view. He breathed out in awe. 

 

The cold sharpened his senses, and he pricked his ears to catch the sounds. His breath fogged the air. A gentle hush cloaked the land. Wind whistled through the trees that dotted the moorland and pasture. Generous light from the gibbous moon cast shadows over the moor, dappling the grasses with equal light and dark. And Starclan, the stars. The milky speckles twirled and danced along the sky in various patterns, tugging at the corners of his lips in a way that almost made him smile. Deep into autumn the farm was quieter, more sirene. He didn’t mind it.

 

Ravenpaw hadn’t seen the moor from so high up. It was different at night.

 

“Pretty isn’t it.” Barleys quiet mew tickled his ear fur, and Ravenpaw tilted his head to catch the tom’s eye. 

 

“Yeah.” Ravenpaw sighed, but this time to another cause. Barley looked charming in the glow, fondness for the tom pricking his heart.

 

Barley had the kind of face to stop a cat in its pawsteps.

 

Ravenpaw always feels himself drawn to the tom like a moth to flame. He supposed Barley was used to that- but it didn’t help that he was so modest about it, it made cats fall for him all the more. Barley had helped him adjust to this new life- and for that Ravenpaw was forever grateful.

 

He was handsome, yes, but inside he was also just as beautiful.

Together they settled down, Ravenpaw tucking his paws into his chest against the cold air. Barley curled his body around him, a welcome presence. They chatted for awhile about whatever came to mind. These moments Ravenpaw enjoyed most- to savor their time with another. It was cheesy, yes, but it's what made his heart warm to see Barley relaxed and so easy around him. 

 

The black tom stopped while listening, staring at the other for a moment. His chest felt tight; deep inside. He wasn’t sure of what to make of it. Barley titled his chin up to the sky, wisps of fog spilling out from his mouth to the sky.

 

There it was again. The twinge in his heart. Ravenpaw binked down at his chest. 

 

“Im in love with him.” a voice echoed in his mind.

Love. He was in love.

 

He glanced back up at Barley. He loved him. It felt strange to say but right all the same. The feeling was strange, spreading throughout his entire body. His heart felt full and complete, a hole he never knew was there was.. Filled. It was strange - scary even - how they went from complete strangers to such close companions. It was only then, but it felt like a lifetime. Ravenpaw felt content knowing this is what he was feeling.

 

After awhile had passed Ravenpaw wiggled out of the warm snuggle session, nudging the toms shoulder.

 

“You ready to go?” Ravenpaw murmured. As much as he loved the view, he loved being inside more. The cold was starting to bite at his ears.

 

Barley yawned and stretched, shaking his fur to rid himself of the chill. “Sheesh. Yeah, I’m close to frostbitten.” He muttered, flicking each of his paws. “I feel my bones are freezing over.”

 

Ravenpaw shook his head. “Really? You’re getting old.” He grinned.

 

“I am not!” Barley squawked indignantly.

 

Ravenpaw laughed and leaped down onto the post and to the grass. The frozen ground pricked his numb paws. Barley followed suit, and led the way back into the barn. 

 

XXX

 

They curled up in the hay afterwards, Barley rasping his tongue over Ravenpaw’s ears to warm them. The steady rhythm soothed him. Their frozen limbs slowly defrosted by the warmth of each others body heat. It was cozy, indeed. Ravenpaw groomed his cold paws, and stopped to murmur, “Thank you.”

 

“For what?” Barley asked, leaning back to look at the smaller cat.

 

Ravenpaw quieted for a moment. Trusting him… for letting him stay. For helping him through his fear of being found… for becoming his friend and being so understanding. Letting him be the one to be close.

 

For choosing him.

 

“For taking me up there.” Ravenpaw decided to murmur back. “For… everything.”

 

Barley’s eyes studied his own for a moment before replying, “Of course.” and pressed his muzzle to Ravenpaw’s cheek. Ravenpaw leaned into the touch, nestling his head underneath Barley’s chin. Soft fur tickled his nose. Barley smelled like warm straw and cedarwood, a comforting scent. 

 

“Barley?” he asked.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“I think I love you.”

 

There was silence for a heartbeat.

 

“I love you too.” His whisper lit a fire in Ravenpaw’s belly. He loved him back.

 

They fell asleep, curled up in that little bed of straw.


End file.
